Some plays blaze on their own, while others need the igniting force of a
talented cast to get the light and heat started. Lanford Wilson's 1987
play Burn This, now being revived by the Signature Theatre Company at
the Union Square Theatre, is one of the latter. Sadly, despite a
handsome production, someone forgot to bring the matches.

That's surprising news indeed from any production starring Edward
Norton, but it certainly applies here. Norton has been widely acclaimed
for a bevy of intense roles in films like Primal Fear, American History
X, and Fight Club, and therefore seems like almost ideal casting for his
role here. Pale is a restaurant manager who always seems on the brink
of either blowing his top or breaking down in tears (or perhaps both at
the same time). After arriving at the Manhattan loft where Anna
(Catherine Keener) shared lived with his recently deceased gay brother,
he surrenders his emotions to her even as he terrifies her.

But, inexplicably, Norton isn't terrifying. He's funny. He bears a
real self-assuredness that is necessary for the character, but his Pale
lacks the words to express it and the physical heft to back up his
assertions, so he covers it all up with humor. Norton seems to find the
laughs hidden in every line and brings them right to the surface. Since
Keener and the play's other two actors, Ty Burrell as her would-be
boyfriend Burton and Dallas Roberts as her remaining gay roommate Larry,
are already treating the play as a comedy, the first act of Burn This is
remarkably funny indeed.

But the production turns serious in the second act. When Burrell and
Norton square off against each other for Anna's affections, it seems to
come out of nowhere. These two people, who were having such a great time
until now, suddenly want to kill each other? And Norton, for the first
time in his visible adult professional career, doesn't look like he
could kill anyone if he wanted to! There is no reason for anyone to be
afraid of Norton here.

This all makes this production of Burn This entertaining, but more than
a little nonsensical. One can't help but feel bad for Keener, who fits
her role perfectly, finding seemingly every emotional layer and exciting
nuance in Anna's character. She falters only in not sufficiently
explaining from where Anna's devotions are derived, whether they're to
Pale, his brother, or dance. In all other ways she succeeds mightily,
and creates a viscerally effective one-sided relationship between the
Pale Norton should be but never is. Roberts gives a laid-back
performance and is very, very funny. Burrell is baffling, his sexuality
highly ambiguous (despite his protestations in the second act), and any
possible romantic attachment with Anna quite hard to believe.

So, most of these difficulties can be pinned down to director James
Houghton. He had an intriguing script, and maybe even some decent
ideas, but sanded down the edges of the play so much, it can't even
begin to cut deep enough to make a strong emotional impression. This
can be seen even in the set, where Christine Jones's work is immensely
attractive, but so physically immense that all heat the characters might
generate dissipates before it can reach the audience. Pat Collins's
simple but attractive lighting comes across the best.

Perhaps Norton would be more at home in a film version of Burn This?
It's difficult to say, since more ideal casting for the role would be
difficult to imagine (aside from John Malkovich, the role's originator).
Norton simply doesn't live up to his potential here, and while the rest
of the production survives, it's far from all it could be. Another
actor as Pale might elevate this production closer to the excitement and
energy it needs to sear off the stage. As it stands now, the sparks are
infrequent at best.